The word "vodka" comes from the Russian "Zhiznennia voda", which means "water of life". "Vodka" means "little water".

Vodka can be distilled from any number of sources including potatoes and sugar cane. The spirit is then filtered through charcoal to filter out impurities, and the resultant liquor is then the perfect base for a cocktail. It adds the kick of alcohol but without the taste. This is one of the great things about vodka: it is almost odourless. So it cannot be detected on your breath.

Vodka is the ideal drink for beginners to use in experiments.